farthing
C1Historical, Literary, Figurative, Archaic
Definition
Meaning
A former British coin, the smallest and least valuable unit of currency, equal to a quarter of an old penny.
A term for something of very little value; an insignificant amount; historically used to denote a minimal quantity, measure, or area.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The primary meaning is historical, referring to pre-decimal British currency. Its contemporary use is almost exclusively figurative to emphasize worthlessness or minuteness. It evokes a specific historical/period context.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is inherently British due to its origin as a British coin. Americans would recognize it primarily from historical contexts, British literature, or idiomatic phrases.
Connotations
In the UK, it carries stronger cultural/historical resonance. In the US, it is a more exotic, purely literary/historical term.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in modern speech in both varieties, but slightly more likely to be encountered in UK historical discourse or older UK idioms.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
not worth a farthingwouldn't give a farthing for Xevery last farthingdown to the last farthingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “not worth a brass farthing”
- “not a farthing to his name”
- “pinch every farthing”
- “I don't care a farthing”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Obsolete. Only used figuratively in very rare, stylized contexts to mean 'no financial value' (e.g., 'The intellectual property was deemed not worth a farthing.').
Academic
Used in historical, economic, or numismatic texts discussing pre-decimal British currency or social history.
Everyday
Effectively extinct in literal use. Figurative use is rare and stylized, often by older generations or for deliberate archaic effect.
Technical
Specific to historical numismatics (coin collecting) or legal historical contexts referencing old contracts or debts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- The farthing coin is a relic of pre-decimal Britain.
- He paid a farthing fee, a token amount.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- This old coin is a farthing.
- The book cost just a few farthings long ago.
- I wouldn't pay a farthing for that broken toy.
- After the war, the family didn't have a farthing to their name.
- The collector offered a fortune for the rare 1937 farthing.
- His argument wasn't worth a brass farthing, being based entirely on conjecture.
- The novelist meticulously described the protagonist scrimping every last farthing to survive in Victorian London.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: FARTHING = FARTH-est thING (the farthest, smallest thing in value). Or: A FARTHING is so small, it's FAR from being a THING of value.
Conceptual Metaphor
A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY IS A SMALL OBJECT (e.g., 'not a red cent,' 'pinch pennies'). WORTHLESSNESS IS A WORTHLESS COIN (e.g., 'not worth a plugged nickel,' 'not worth a brass farthing').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating directly as 'фартинг' (a rare, technical term). For the figurative sense, use 'грош' (grosh) or 'мелкая монета' (small coin) metaphorically. Do not confuse with 'farthing' as a unit of area (historical).
Common Mistakes
- Using it to refer to modern small change (e.g., a penny). Misspelling as 'farthering' or 'farthing'. Using it in a non-figurative sense in a modern context.
Practice
Quiz
In modern figurative use, 'not care a farthing' means:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the farthing was demonetized in the UK in 1961, well before decimalisation in 1971.
Early farthings were silver, but for most of their history (especially from 1860 onward), they were made of bronze (copper, tin, zinc).
It's an idiomatic intensifier. Brass is a cheap metal, so a 'brass farthing' is even less valuable than a real (bronze) farthing, emphasizing utter worthlessness.
Historically, yes. It could refer to a very small unit of land or other measure, but these uses are even more archaic than the monetary one. Today, it is exclusively associated with the old coin.
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